Initiation Setting and Persistence of Medications Affecting Cognition in Older Adults

Medications that adversely affect cognition, eg, antipsychotics, may increase delirium and fall risk among older adults, but they remain frequently prescribed. To better understand the context of their prescribing, this study examined the clinical settings in which these medications were initiated and the rate at which patients continue to take them 1 year later. This cross-sectional study used Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data of community-dwelling adults aged 66 years or older linked to Medicare fee-for-service claims (including Part D prescription fills) between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2021. The University of California, Los Angeles institutional review board approved the study with a waiver of informed consent as the data were deidentified. The study followed the STROBE reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies.